isiNdebele
Southern Ndebele
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Nguni)
Southern Ndebele (isiNdebele) is one of South Africa's eleven official languages, distinct from Northern Ndebele of Zimbabwe (a Zulu-derived diaspora variety). It is closely related to Zulu within the Nguni Bantu group but has acquired distinctive vocabulary through extensive contact with Northern Sotho (Pedi) and Tswana neighbours, and is famous outside its home region for the brilliantly painted Ndebele house murals of Mpumalanga, an iconic visual heritage.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Southern Ndebele
Water
amanzi
/amanzi/
Fire
umlilo
/umlilo/
Sun
ilanga
/ilaŋɡa/
Moon
inyanga
/iɲaŋɡa/
Mother
umma
/umma/
Father
ubaba
/uɓaɓa/
Eat
ukudla
/ukuɮa/
Drink
ukusela
/ukusela/
Love
ithando
/itʰando/
Heart
ihliziyo
/iɬizijo/
Tree
umuthi
/umutʰi/
House
indlu
/indɮu/
Dog
inja
/indʒa/
Cat
ikati
/ikati/
Hand
isandla
/isandɮa/
Eye
ihlo
/iɬo/
Hello
lotjhani
/lotʃʰani/
Thank you
ngiyathokoza
/ŋijatʰokoza/
One
nye
/ɲe/
Good
kuhle
/kuɬe/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Nguni) languages
| Meaning | Southern Ndebele | Northern Ndebele | Zulu | Xhosa | Swazi | Tsonga | Lozi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | amanzi /amanzi/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | amanzi /amaːnzi/ | emanti /emanti/ | mati /mati/ | mezi /mezi/ |
| Fire | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | ndzilo /ndzilo/ | mulilo /mulilo/ |
| Sun | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaːŋɡa/ | lilanga /lilaŋɡa/ | dyambu /dʒambu/ | lizazi /lizazi/ |
| Moon | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaːŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | n'weti /ŋweti/ | kweli /kweli/ |
| Mother | umma /umma/ | umama /umama/ | umama /umama/ | umama /umaːma/ | make /make/ | manana /manana/ | ma /ma/ |
| Father | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | utata /utaːta/ | babe /ɓaɓe/ | tatana /tatana/ | ndate /ndate/ |
| Eat | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | ukutya /ukutʲa/ | kudla /kuɮa/ | ku dya /ku dʒa/ | kuca /kut͡sa/ |
| Drink | ukusela /ukusela/ | ukunatha /ukunatʰa/ | ukuphuza /ukupʰuza/ | ukusela /ukusɛla/ | kunatsa /kunatsa/ | ku nwa /ku nwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ |
| Love | ithando /itʰando/ | uthando /utʰando/ | uthando /utʰando/ | uthando /utʰando/ | lutsandvo /luʦandwo/ | rirhandzu /riɾandzu/ | lilato /lilato/ |
| Heart | ihliziyo /iɬizijo/ | inhliziyo /inɬizijo/ | inhliziyo /inɬizijo/ | intliziyo /intɬizijo/ | inhlitiyo /inɬitijo/ | mbilu /mbilu/ | pilu /pilu/ |
| Tree | umuthi /umutʰi/ | isihlahla /isiɬaɬa/ | isihlahla /isiɬaɬa/ | umthi /umtʰi/ | sihlahla /siɬaɬa/ | nsinya /nsiɲa/ | kota /kota/ |
| House | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | yindlu /jindɮu/ | ndu /ndu/ |
| Dog | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | mbyana /mbjana/ | nja /ndʒa/ |
| Cat | ikati /ikati/ | ikati /ikati/ | ikati /ikati/ | ikati /ikati/ | likati /likati/ | mangoyi /maŋɡoji/ | kaze /kaze/ |
| Hand | isandla /isandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | sandla /sandɮa/ | voko /voko/ | lizoho /lizoho/ |
| Eye | ihlo /iɬo/ | ilihlo /iliɬo/ | iso /iso/ | iliso /iliso/ | liso /liso/ | tihlo /tiɬo/ | liito /liːto/ |
| Hello | lotjhani /lotʃʰani/ | salibonani /saliɓonani/ | sawubona /sawuɓona/ | molo /molo/ | sawubona /sawuɓona/ | avuxeni /avuʃeni/ | eni sha /ɛni ʃa/ |
| Thank you | ngiyathokoza /ŋijatʰokoza/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ | ngiyabonga /ŋɡijaɓoŋɡa/ | enkosi /ɛnkosi/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ | inkomu /iŋkomu/ | nitumezi /nitumezi/ |
| One | nye /ɲe/ | nye /ɲe/ | kunye /kuɲe/ | inye /iɲɛ/ | kunye /kuɲe/ | rin'we /riŋwe/ | nyinwi /ɲiŋʷi/ |
| Good | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | lungile /luŋɡilɛ/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kahle /kaɬe/ | nde /nde/ |
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